Smithson also posted a photo of several attendees at the rally who are all running for public office in Bloomington, saying “they are showing us their values. (Not aligning with mine!).”
In a comment to conservative outlet
The Minnesota Sun
, Becky Strohmeier, the chair of the Bloomington Patriots, said that she considered the event a success.
Strohmeier said that the reason they are so concerned about Smithson’s tweets is because of her position.
“As a human rights commissioner, it is her job to ensure that everyone has a voice. That we all have the right to think, speak and assemble freely. Calling us fascists and white supremacists for supporting our police is completely out of line for a human rights commissioner. If she were just a private citizen it would be different, but she is supposed to be defending the rights of Bloomington residents, not trying to stifle them,” she said.